Audiopile Review: The way we look back on musical phenomena does not always reflect the reality of those phenomena in their time. On various levels, there’s something of a trip-hop revival happening. But said revival (bless it) concentrates largely on Portishead-lite VOCAL trip-hop. It’s less well remembered that, in the early ‘90s, the kind of head-nodding instrumental hip-hop pioneered by Mo’ Wax Recordings was also known as ‘trip-hop’. It was mo’ trippy than it’s now given credit for. The two heavyweights of Mo’ Wax’s roster were DJ Shadow and Japan’s DJ Krush. Obviously, Shadow is a legend. Krush doesn’t have the same profile, but the headz know he’s dope. As if to prove them right, here’s a brand-new DJ Krush album, ‘Saisei’. It’s his first in four years and his first on his own label. And it is proof that Krush remains a master of instrumental trip-hop. For those of you who haven’t heard him since classic 90s albums like ‘Strictly Turntablized’ and ‘Meiso’, this new one might come as a shock. It has a lush, and distinctly contemporary sound built on cinematic sound design and precise beats that sometimes sit at a weird confluence between trap and IDM. If it’s reminiscent of anything from the 90s, it’s less DJ Shadow and more Photek’s moody drum and bass. But, again, it trades stark urban grit for layered, widescreen melancholy. And it’s trippy AF.

After 4 years of his previous title “TRICKSTER” released, he will release his 1st new album “Saisei” from his own label, through facing himself, expanding his sensibility and overcoming toughness during the pandemic of Covid-19. As a gesture player, Jinmenusagi, Chinza-Dopeness and D.O joined this album.